View 9 photos

WATERVILLE — It’s a familiar week for Colby College senior Kat Munter.

Mid-May means another busy finals week, and Munter still has two exams and two papers to complete before she graduates. It also means the NCAA Division III women’s tournament is ongoing, and to the surprise of no one, Munter and the Mules are involved.

“It’s so nice to get a break; I love being out in the sun,” said Munter, a defender. “We’ve worked really hard to get where we are, and we’ve definitely earned it. We’re really excited and confident.”

A game away from a fourth consecutive NCAA quarterfinal berth, the Mules have reason to be excited. Colby is at home for the second straight weekend as it seeks a first-ever Final Four berth. The fourth-ranked Mules (15-3) play Stevens Institute of Technology (17-4) on Saturday, and if they win, they’d face No. 6 Wesleyan (14-5) or No. 23 Rowan (16-3) on Sunday.

Colby coach Karen Henning has never had a losing season in 16 years and has guided the Mules to 14 NCAA tournament appearances. They’ve reached the quarterfinals seven times since 2010 but have failed to progress to the third weekend, something a group of 12 seniors is determined to change.

“We’ve gotten there (the past) three years, and I’m a senior now, and it would be amazing to go to Virginia and go to the Final Four,” said senior defender Jill Kane. “To get back (to the tournament) again and have a chance to host, that’s what we wanted.”

Hosting third- and fourth-round games is a major advantage for Colby, which was on the road for the second weekend from 2022-24.

Colby has been tough to beat anywhere this year, but it has been especially strong at home. The Mules are 8-1, with wins over nationally ranked conference rivals Wesleyan and Trinity (twice). Their only home loss? A 12-11 defeat against Middlebury, the No. 1 team in the nation and the three-time defending NCAA champion.

“This field means a lot — we’ve played a lot of games here — and it’s great to do it (in the NCAA tournament),” said senior attacker Julia Jardina. “It feels like a privilege, but it feels like something we’ve got to defend. We’re excited because we get the chance to defend it a couple more times.”

Jardina is a big reason behind Colby’s success. Her three goals in Sunday’s 17-1 second-round win over Endicott put her at 61 for the season, eclipsing the program’s previous record of 60 set by Annie Eddy just three years ago.

“She’s become a triple threat — she can feed, she can score, and she can cut now — and she gives and empowers her teammates to take it as well,” Henning said. “She encourages them, she wants them to step up, and she makes them better. We’re lucky to have her.”

Jardina and Munter earned USA Lacrosse Division III All-American honors. Munter was also named the New England Small College Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Both are two-time All-NESCAC first-team selections.

Munter leads a stout defense. Colby is allowing just 7.6 goals per game, 24th of 282 teams in Division III. That unit, which shined in conceding just once to an Endicott team averaging 15.7 goals, also includes Kane, Gretchen Biegel, Lydia Carr, Emily Darby, Giselle Uva and Izzy Wang.

“I think that we just work so well as a unit with knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” said Kane, who moved to defense this year from goalie. “Kat has been such a leader for us collectively. Having the (Defensive) Player of the Year back there, that’s not too bad.”

There’s plenty more to Colby’s success. Ainsley Dion, a second-team All-NESCAC midfielder, is a consistent goal scorer with 29 on the season. Gennie Littlejohn, with 28 assists, is one of the conference’s top distributors, while Tate Ban, Kins Helmer and Stella Regan all boast double-digit goals and assists.

Playing in NESCAC has prepared Colby for this moment. The conference sent six teams to this year’s NCAA tournament, and four are still alive. Of the Mules’ 18 games so far, 10 have come against teams that either made the NCAA tournament or are nationally ranked.

“We play in a conference where everyone is a threat at all times, which has been a challenge for us in so many good ways,” Munter said. “We know that every team in our league has made us tougher every game, and that’s made us ready for the big stage.”